By Sarah Taylor
The last time we met The Tower in the Weekend Tarot Reading, it was the middle of November 2011. Admittedly, when I drew the cards today, two things occurred to me. The first was an exclamation with some exasperation: “Again?!” The Tower is a challenging card for many to receive with open arms. I am no exception in this, and I most certainly had had my own Tower moment during and after that reading. (Its influence can reverberate far into the future.)
The second was that the reading seemed to ask for a card to contextualise The Tower. In this case the context is one of interpersonal relationships — more specifically the conventions that often surround them. I’m aware I am being more specific than usual, and there are several reasons why, which I’ll address through the cards themselves, doing my best to relate to you the narrative I feel they are weaving.
In November last year, there was another Cups card in the centre of the reading: The Knight of Cups. I also alluded to the Queen of Cups in that reading in order to contrast the qualities of the two court cards. This is what I wrote:
… [T]he Knight embodies the principle of ‘courtly love’. Well-intentioned but showy (shadowy?), courtly love is public display of affection without the deeply felt understanding that true love cannot be idealised and pushed ‘out there’ to admire from afar. Like Strength, love is visceral — watery, flowing, hidden, sometimes unfathomable.
Unlike the King and Queen of Cups, who are associated with the ocean, the water associated with the Knight is still a shallow river. Nonetheless, even though idealistic, the Knight’s potential is indicated in the fish and waves embroidered on his tunic (fish representing sustenance for the soul). Moreover, he is on a mission, his cup held out before him: He has courage and an adventurous spirit, and he is open — like the cup — to what he will find.
Today, it seems that the Knight’s energy has, indeed, become that of the Queen: Having been through a certain initiatory experience, he is now wiser, deeper, and prepared to encounter feelings directly, working with the ebb and flow of inner tides rather than a trickling rivulet. This is mature emotion, but also feminine, watery, intuitive, receptive.
Here, the Queen of Cups is turned towards the first card in the spread: The Moon, another card that embodies the feminine. In The Moon, however, there is the accompanying feeling of not being able to see clearly, and when we cannot discern our world — and here this refers to our inner world, which can be reflected in our outer experience — then we need to use something other than our five senses in order to navigate the shadowlands. We use our intuition; we move carefully, feeling for what is around us, inwardly prepared for the possibility that we will not be able to trust in the feedback that we receive from those aspects of ourselves that are used to working in broad daylight.
The Moon is a time when things surface that are primordial; strange creatures that emerge from the depths, causing the wolves to howl and the dogs to bay. This is the connection to something that we can so often ignore when our everyday lives take over. And because we ignore it so much, when the Moon rises and the day time makes way for night, it can feel unfamiliar to the point where fear can take over. How can we negotiate when we can’t even see?
The answer to this question lies in the path — there is a way through — and with the Moon herself, who is raining her golden light down on the scene below. She is calm, meditative, motionless. We, too, are being asked to find that calm, meditative, motionless part of ourselves. This is the best tool that we have to find that path through our moonlit landscapes. And we are being watched over and guided by the Queen of Cups. Two very feminine figures working together. The seas lapping at the Queen’s feet extend into The Moon, and from them crawls that symbol of the primordial — a strange creature that feels perhaps alien, and which has the propensity to make us shift a little uncomfortably in our seats.
The Queen does not recoil from this creature emerging in front of her, however. Instead, she extends her cup towards it — a cup that symbolises the source of her emotions, a vessel that contains and transforms, from which we are able to birth something new and, yes, altogether less rational than we might be used to. When we are aligned with our emotions to the extent expressed in the Queen of Cups — a state that is amplified by The Moon — then we can take in all that emerges with empathy and openness, the shores of our own psychic seas ready to birth and offer to our embrace what it is that is surfacing to meet us.
I am writing in metaphor a lot here; I feel that is the point. This is not the kingdom of mind. This is very much the realm of Neptune in Pisces. A waterworld where we have to approach things obliquely, trying to discern them out of the corners of our eyes, and dreaming up a new language to name them and to meet with them.
What lies behind the Queen is where yang energy takes over from yin: The masculine is very much in this reading too and embodied in The Tower. If we move with the astrology theme a little further, The Tower is Chiron: focused and with the intent of bringing healing. That healing is not always experienced gently, but that is often the case when we have invested our efforts in something that has been created, not to endure, but for the purpose of being torn down.
The Tower is the realm of being where even the glow of the Moon cannot penetrate. The darkness that surrounds it is there because we have chosen to build a structure in a place that cannot sustain light; in this place, we have become un-enlightened. It is a dark recess of the unconscious that needs to have something strike into it so uncompromisingly that we have no way of turning away from the obviousness of our situation. We have tried to build something away from consciousness, and it has been holding us prisoner in some sense of that word. No more. And in this instance the receptiveness of The Moon and the gentle presence of the Queen of Cups are not enough to achieve this destruction. Instead, they are ‘holding space’ for something else to enter: A divine lightning bolt issued from the sky, which blows apart what has been built in a way that might seem entirely unfair and unexpected at the time – but the reason for this will become clear because the bolt also illuminates what, up until now, was cast into the shadow.
What falls is a way of coupling, crystallised in the Ten of Pentacles. The Ten is a card of convention and structure — and, in fact, towers abound in the imagery of this card: Look at the carvings in the stone archway, the mural to its left, and the tower in the far background. It is as if, by embracing the watery nature of our feminine sides — our feelings — the imagery in the Ten (which here seems busy, decorative, chock-full of tradition and bound in structure) is transformed.
The whippets, well-behaved, seated expectantly and obediently at the feet of a richly dressed figure — old, dignified — become wild animals in The Moon. They are no longer at the beck and call of convention; they are no longer tame. Likewise, the couple, seen standing under the archway facing each other, become the couple who fall from The Tower. Here, there is no more space for the niceties of civilised and mundane conversation in the marketplace. Something else has to come through — a bolt of consciousness and transformation. The golden yod-shaped leaves of light rain down on them as they do on the creatures in The Moon. In that moment, they are surrendered to a force that frees them from convention that no longer serves them, from traditions that hold them back, from an obedience to parental figures that have kept them in place. What sees them through this process is a deeply felt feminine presence that helps them find their own paths through this strange new landscape.
Freedom through the emotions. Freedom to feel. Feeling through to freedom.
If you want to experiment with tarot cards and don’t have any, we provide a free tarot spread generator using the Celtic Wings spread, which is based on the traditional Celtic Cross spread. This article explains how to use the spread.
”When something in your life is dying, understand that the need for that thing is dying, and unplug”
goodness… that sounded dire for a moment, until i re-read and noticed the core of the idea is that a *need* for something is dying. that totally changes the game, though it can still be hard to trust the process.
“Dreams of water — and more pointedly inundation by water — can be a first step in acknowledging that there is something emerging from our own deep waters that is asking to be surrendered to, worked with, and integrated.”
that reminds me of a dream from a week or two ago i might do well to revisit and consider more deeply: i was talking to a close friend near the ocean, his back to it and me facing it. if i recall, the seas were pretty active — but i’ll have to check my journal.
yep, it’s all moving. i feel like the trick is *allowing* myself to move with it. so tempting to cling to that tower… it seemed so strong for so long!
Love it!
Huffy! 🙂
My soon-to-be-ex-husband always likes to say that he is “Jung and easily Freudened”. A terrible play on words (and this from someone who enjoys murdering a pun or two!), but it always makes me smile!
Thank you, dear! I’m ‘Jung’ at heart too! xxx
abc123 – Somehow your message scooted by my eyes this morning, and I wanted to say that I am glad that you have found the relevance to this reading in your life. It sounds like you’re handling the choppy waters pretty well!
Thank you, Huffy! The words “plug in” brought to mind the phrase by Timothy Leary: “Turn on, tune in, drop out.” Dropping out of The Tower no less.
I have been reading an explanation of the work of C G Jung this morning. I am an unashamed fan of much of Jung’s work, and this statement is no exception:
“Water … always represents the unconscious.”
When the unconscious knocks on our doors of awareness, it is frequently accompanied by fear: There is a good reason why we put something into the unconscious in the first place. Dreams of water — and more pointedly inundation by water — can be a first step in acknowledging that there is something emerging from our own deep waters that is asking to be surrendered to, worked with, and integrated.
This can require help. If you feel a sense of inundation or of falling, ask for assistance: Make an appointment with a therapist — whichever modality works for you — or speak to a trusted spiritual advisor. There is a need to be held through the process, as the Queen and The Moon can hold us through our journey into night. Emotions are key here — they point the way, and they can also be used to assist us. So make that call if you need to.
Yes. You’re so right Sarah. Thank you for your kind and wise words. In fact I’m reminded of Carolyn Myss’s words -“When something in your life is dying, understand that the need for that thing is dying, and unplug”. Good luck with the unplugging my dear!xxx
Thank you, one and all, for your very moving replies.
Biram – I get a sense of the energy you’re dealing with from, and between, your words. I often find that tarot, too, is about expressing the unexpressable — and I find it an experience of the commingling of joy and pain.
Amanda – Thank you for that reflection in the astrology, which I am following closely right now. It is something to orientate myself at a time where I feel like I don’t know where the hell I’m going.
Huffy – I think it can be really comforting to remind ourselves that, in spite of all seeming evidence to the contrary, when The Tower appears in our lives it because something is simply not cutting it any more. We have evolved past it, and yet we are clinging on to it — so it is wrestled from our grasp, and we can often find ourselves ranting and raving like deprived toddlers! Time to grow. 🙂 (This is primarily a reminder to myself!)
HS – I am moved by your story of your father, and having an inward cheer for you for doing the hard work of realising that he isn’t going to change, but your own life is now in your hands, and you seem to be doing something differently.
shebear – Thank you! See above for the joy and pain of the writing process 🙂
PetitHibou – Agreed: Sleep seems to be the deciding factor as to whether I can weather the storms or disintegrate in the force of the winds and waves. I hope it gives you some rest and perspective.
S x
Just, wow. The reflection in this mirror you’ve cast here is so bright it’s blinding me. I am stunned and spinning. All the more reason to close eyes and sleep to process it. Thank you, Sarah. My goodness, was this week worth waiting for!
HS, I am so impressed with you and full of admiration for the way you handled your encounter with your Dad. Thank you for telling us about it.
I was riveted, yet again, by the way you wove this article together, Sarah. Thank you always for the richness of your writing. The amount of effort you put into producing these articles week in and week out fills my heart with warm appreciation and wonderment at your skills, most especially gratitude for your guiding wisdom. The timing of this reading, like it appears to be for others, is incredible as it reflects pretty much what is unfolding in my life. Incredible yet completely credible at the same time! Cheers 😉
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for such an erudite and gentle invocation of wisdom you bring here.
I’ve written about my situation with my father, growing up with his toxic influence and his dumping his garbage on me as a young boy about how my mom ruined his life by divorcing him. I was in a Reiki workshop last month and I was surprised at how much came up about him. I told him I wanted nothing to do with him at 19, and spent so many years healing the damage he did to me. I still feel his influence (as I mentioned) when I meet women, by having the idea that my gestures or initiations are seen as creepy or slimy. I then either never act or I over compensate by being super nice. So, while I was just processing this all, meeting a new friend, and feeling the healthy man I am, guess who I run into on Friday night at the peak of the Sun-Chiron conjunction? After 20 years, it was my father.
I didn’t even see him. He just turned around and called my name. I was so detached from him, from all the emotions he once brought up that I just kept walking. I registered him but I felt unfazed and strong as if he was simply a thought arising in meditation. He ran after me and this left me little choice to acknowledge him and speak with him. After a few words, I noticed I felt no fear at all. I even gave him a hug and suggested we get some tea and have a talk. I thought, well, since this obviously manifested itself, why not work with it.
We talked for about 40 minutes, catching up about our lives. But I made sure my views were heard. Not as a nervous 19 year old confronting my parent, but as a strong independent adult expressing myself to another adult, who just happened to be blood related. I was amazed at how little he changed in his views. Oh, he said sorry for dumping on me, but said he didn’t have anyone else to talk to and wanted to share what he was going through. I said, “Excuse me, I was 11 years old. You don’t share that stuff with me at that age. You get a therapist. Why didn’t you get help?” He said that he preferred to read and “talk to God”. He continued by stringing a sad case of his life, bankruptcy, etc, as if I was somehow yet again his only ear. His whole life is a lie. He lives in the shadows of grief and depression and obsession. A seemingly sweet man on the outside, but manipulative and passive aggressive in all his actions. It was so clear to me how my choice to leave was so vitally important.
By the 30 min mark, I was getting twitchy and anxious. I wanted to leave badly. I said I had to go now, and that it was good to clear the air. I wished him well and left. I felt sad for him, but relieved and empowered that I faced that situation with the full capacity of my being, rooted in the awareness of who I am and unmovable in my resolve to be committed to myself.
Thanks for reading.
Hugging Scorpio
Moments before I read your tarot reading today, I sent a message to a team that I believe/hope will resolve what’s been a muddy, unclear, and uncomfortable situation. I’m still quite new in this role, and the usual processes and milestones that guide me are not used here.
One person invited input from a partner, but in so doing caused a miscommunication. The partner began to act as if the other’s accountabilities had been delegated to him. He did not recognize at all that was overstepping his bounds. So that left it to me to step in, and let them know gently but firmly, in a way that allows each to save face, what direction I take from whom. It is my hope that this will “wake up the team,” and they’ll see that indeed, we’ve fully met the goals of this particular project. This will allow us to move on in harmony, with a plan for how to set up the framework for future projects that should allow us all to work with clear expectations of ourselves and each other.
I aways find your Tarot pieces amazing, dear Sarah But this time I was simply knocked for six. you explain so much of what I’m going through right now. I felt I’d found a measure of equilbrium – working towards a better life situation if possible – in my own time. Suddenly that damn tower has struck again, and I my job is at risk. I’m reeling inside and out – but I’m also working with it consciously. Thank you so very much! And thank you too for your post Amanda – I really look forward to the next astrology blogs. You all provide such a wonderful service, and undoubtedly one appreciates it even more when life bowls another fast one.
what astonished me on reading this post (and i’ll read it again to soak it all in ) is that mid-november — when the tower last appeared in this series — was also around the time we had the first of the last pair of eclipses. and later this week, the sun will square the lunar nodes, which means we are midway between eclipse pairs. it also indicates a turning point, which we’ll cover in the Daily Astrology that posts at midnight EST.
plus, along the relationship lines: we have Venus in Aries opposite Saturn in libra — another indicator of a relationship turning point we’ll be covering.
looks like the universe wants to be sure we really get the message on this one.
i remember the last time the tower came up in a reading, i wasn’t so sure i was seeing how it was playing out in my life. i think maybe that’s a little clearer now, though i can’t say i really know what i’m doing with it all…
i am blown… sarah…
it seems as if you were describing my exact journey as it started from yesterday night (after i watched a video-blog about greece’s austerity measures at Thrive site) – of intense and trembling fear, to a full day of unidentifiable mix of emotions, to a sudden and miraculous arrival of a bolt of lightning (in form of andrew cohen, whose talk i attended – and i was surprised as i didnot know he was in india, though i follow his blog), to this reading, which brought everything into right context…
i am printing this out… not only to re-read it… but also as a souvenir… as a snapshot of a mile-stone… because, i feel it in my guts… that the tower is crumbling… has almost crumbled… clearing, creating… a lot of space for something new…
i will allow the humongous amount of appreciation, gratitude and love i feel… unexpressed. as… all words, in their united power, will fail to convey it.
love
biren
(india)